Postdoctoral Researcher in Malaria Computational Epidemiology and Genomic Epidemiology Barcelona Institute for Global Health in Spain

Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) is recruiting a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in malaria computational epidemiology to work on the project CONTRA-MAL: Connecting the dots in malaria transmission dynamics: inferring transmission networks by integrating genetics and epidemiology, funded by a Fundación “la Caixa” Junior Leader Fellowship.

The position sits at the intersection of genomic epidemiology, computational epidemiology, statistical modelling, infectious disease modelling, and public health surveillance. The successful candidate will develop and apply computational methods to infer malaria transmission dynamics by integrating parasite genetic data with epidemiological data. The work includes transmission network inference, outbreak dynamics, diffusion-based modelling, simulation-based validation, and open-source R package development.

You will work closely with Dr Shazia Ruybal-Pesántez, a Genomic and Computational Epidemiologist and Research Group Lead at ISGlobal, within the Malaria and Neglected Parasitic Diseases Program. The project also involves collaboration with international partners including Imperial College London, Menzies School of Health Research, UNC Chapel Hill, and malaria programme partners across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

Eligibility highlights: a PhD in a quantitative field such as statistics, biostatistics, computational epidemiology, applied mathematics, infectious disease modelling, computer science, or a related area; strong coding and quantitative skills; proficiency in R and/or Python; experience with complex epidemiological/genomic datasets; and fluency in English. Experience with pathogen genomic epidemiology, bioinformatics, transmission modelling, network models, spatio-temporal modelling, or open-source software development is highly desirable.

Funding and conditions: 18-month contract in the first instance, renewable depending on funding, with a gross annual salary of 30.656€. The role also offers career development support including conference travel, training workshops, mentorship, and opportunities for independent research ideas.

Application window: applications are open until 3 July 2026 and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Applicants must submit an application form, CV, cover letter, and contact details for two professional references.